Fallout
by melanie39
Summary: A sort of Missing Scene one shot. Can Caleb and Ryan ever be reconciled? Set immediately after The Second Chance.


I've lost so much faith in Josh that I just can't see him resolving the Caleb/Ryan animosity to my satisfaction so I've written a missing scene to satisfy myself. Set immediately after "The Second Chance".

Fallout

Ryan sat eating his Cap'n Crunch in the kitchen. Kirsten was making coffee. Neither spoke. The trauma of the last two days' events had robbed them of the ability to make light conversation. Ryan was enveloped in guilt; Kirsten was beside herself with worry.

Seth sloped in, clad only in his boxers and a retro t-shirt. Grabbing himself a bowl and the box of cereal, he looked over at his mother.

"Hey Mom, what's the news on Grandpa this morning?"

Ryan glanced over to Kirsten anxiously, his mouth full of cereal. He'd been too afraid to ask.

"Good. Yes, his doctors say he should be able to come out of the hospital later today." She forced herself to sound breezy. Her father was actually laying down demands on the doctors, insisting that he be discharged without delay. If she'd had her way, he'd be in hospital resting for the duration of the week.

"Great, that's great huh Ryan?"

"Yeah," nodded Ryan in agreement. Kirsten shot him a look. Sandy and Seth still didn't know the circumstances which led to Caleb's heart attack. She didn't want Ryan to feel any worse than he already did so she'd kept quiet about how disastrously the dinner with Lindsay had gone. But she knew it would come out sooner or later. She'd tried to talk to Ryan but he'd been keeping out of her way, doing anything he could to avoid being in the same room as her alone.

Sandy walked into the kitchen, hair slicked back after early morning surf. He kissed his wife as he walked past her and helped himself to a bagel.

"So Ryan, are you seeing Lindsay today? Seth asked innocently.

"Ahhh, no."

"I thought you guys had plans this weekend?" Sandy commented.

"Yeah but after all that's happened…" Ryan left his sentence unfinished. Seth raised his eyebrows toward Ryan.

"How's she dealing with it? I mean, first you get a dad and then suddenly he's at death's door…"

"Seth!" Kirsten spoke sharply to her son.

"Sorry Mom, I know he's your dad too… and my grandpa," he added as an afterthought. "I didn't mean to be flippant." Seth looked at his mother sheepishly. She looked at Sandy helplessly.

"Don't look at me honey. You know how I feel about your father. I can't reprimand my own son for feeling about him like I do."

Ryan interrupted, trying to change the subject.

"To tell you the truth Seth, I don't know how Lindsay's dealing with it. We're kind of taking some time apart…"

"Really?" Seth was confused. It seemed like Ryan and Lindsay had only just gotten over the last hurdle in their relationship.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah. Your grandpa really wants a relationship with her, or so he says, and she thought, you know, having me around would make it difficult…"

"because he hates you…" Seth finished.

"Seth, your grandfather doesn't hate Ryan…." Kirsten interjected.

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at her disbelievingly.

"He just doesn't…know you like we know you Ryan.." she finished, deflated. To tell the truth, Kirsten was still angry with herself for not fighting Ryan's corner harder last week in her father's office. She'd had the chance to convince him to give the kid a break and she'd blown it.

"Right," Ryan agreed, "and he nearly didn't get the chance after I …" his voice trailed off.

"After you what?" queried Sandy.

Kirsten saw her moment.

"Ryan, that heart attack was waiting to happen. The doctors all said as much."

Ryan smirked bitterly.

"Yeah but if I hadn't got into that stupid argument with him…"

"It's not your fault!" she argued.

Ryan got up from the table.

"Thanks for breakfast. I'm gonna get some homework done…"

Sandy and Seth watched as he left and then looked to Kirsten for an explanation.

She sighed.

"Dad had his heart attack after they had an altercation about Ryan's place in our family."

She looked at Sandy and shrugged hopelessly.

Sandy sat down and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Poor kid, he must feel terrible."

"I've tried to talk to him but he keeps avoiding me…"

"This thing with Caleb is ridiculous. We should never have let him get away with it. Ryan deserves better." Sandy was furious with himself for allowing Caleb to treat Ryan with indifference this past year or so.

Well, once Caleb had recovered, he told himself, things were going to change. This situation could not be allowed to continue.

-

"Caleb?"

Caleb looked up from the pile of documents he'd been studying. He had a mountain of work to catch up on. Intrusions were not welcome.

"Sandford! To what do I owe this unexpected honor?"

"Cut the sarcasm Cal, you know exactly why I'm here!"

Caleb frowned.

"Don't tell me, you're here to plead forgiveness for the boy!"

"Ryan has done nothing to need your forgiveness!" Sandy responded indignantly.

Caleb smirked.

"What, besides burning down one of my houses, turning my grandson into a car thief and generally wheedling his way into my family?"

"Ryan was invited into our family Caleb, in the hope that he could get a better life."

"Not by me he wasn't," snapped Caleb, "and you think he didn't have the whole thing planned?"

Sandy stared at his father in law uncomprehendingly.

"He was sixteen years old, abandoned by his mother. He had nowhere else to go…"

Despite knowing Caleb Nichol for twenty years, the man's callousness never failed to shock him.

Caleb resumed signing papers at his desk.

"I tell you Sandford, that boy's after our money."

Sandy shook his head despairingly. He was obviously going to get nowhere. Kirsten had tried to warn him. She'd told him she'd already tried to make her father see sense but that he'd dismissed her out of hand. He had one last stab.

"When Ryan called that day, he had no idea who I was, who I was married to. As far as he knew, I was a strapped for cash public defender trying to earn enough to feed and clothe my family."

"Even if that were true, which I highly doubt, that kid soon realized what a good thing he was on to. Kids like that are always one step ahead of the game, always looking for the next person they can fleece."

Sandy eyed his father in law coldly.

"Well there we go Caleb, that comment says it all. 'Kids like that'. How the hell would you even know what Ryan is like? You've never made the slightest effort to get to know him."

"I know all I need to know. I get back from my trip to Europe to find the very boy who has burned down my model home, ensconced in a house owned by me, all set to attend private school paid for with profits from my company."

"This is what this is really about isn't it?" Sandy suddenly had the revelation.

"You're still mad that we didn't run our decision by you first!"

Caleb waved his arm dismissively. Sandy got up from his seat.

"Yes, that's exactly it." Sandy could see so clearly now. "You hate to think that you have no control over the situation and most of all, you hate to think Kirsten made a decision with her husband instead of with her father!"

"Don't be so ridiculous Sandford."

Sandy laughed bitterly.

"I'm not being ridiculous. It's suddenly become crystal clear to me. This has nothing at all to do with Ryan. This is all to do with me. You still haven't got over the fact that your daughter over rode your wishes and married me, instead of some obnoxious Newport Executive!"

Caleb shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn't about to let Sandy see how close he was to the truth. Yes it had hurt when Kirsten had married Sandy. All his plans for her had lain in ruins. That things worked out in his favor eventually was due to circumstance.

Sandy pressed on.

"The thing is Cal, that much as you frustrate me, I'm past caring about what you think of me. I think it's a pity you can't bring yourself to accept that maybe Kirsten made the right decision in marrying me, but that's your loss, not mine. But right now, there's a seventeen-year-old boy who's being made to feel like he's not really part of our family, and you know, that hurts me. One family has already abandoned that kid. He doesn't need another one to do it to him."

He looked at Caleb, frustrated. His eyebrows furrowed.

"You know Cal, sometimes, I catch a glimpse of compassion in you. You don't let it surface much but I know it's there. If you wanted to, you could show some to Ryan. Just give him a chance. You'll be glad you did."

They locked eyes for a moment; each determined to win the battle.

Sandy sighed and left. He'd done all he could. If it didn't sink in now, then it probably never would and he'd have to do his darnedest to protect Ryan from any more fallout from Caleb Nichol's intransigence.

Caleb watched his son in law leave and then sat down; afraid to admit to himself that Sandy's comments had left him more than a little rattled. What was it about this kid that aroused such passions in his family? Well, he wasn't about to get sucked in. No matter what Kirsten and Sandy believed, this boy was trouble and Caleb Nichol knew it.

-

Caleb had only just regained his composure and been able to focus again on the ever-growing pile in his 'in' tray when his peace was disturbed for a second time. This time it was his grandson.

"Hey Grandpa!"

Caleb threw down the folder outlining his newest apartment complex proposals with a resigned sigh.

"Seth! You've just missed your father…"

"I have? What was Dad doing here?" Seth was perplexed. As far as he was aware, all legal issues regarding his grandfather's arrest last fall had been resolved so why would his father be visiting Caleb when he usually did his best to avoid him?

"It's not important," dismissed Caleb, pulling out a chair for his grandson.

"Now, what can I do for you?" he beamed benevolently.

Seth sat down nervously. He wasn't quite sure where he should start or how he should broach the subject. The last thing he wanted to do was to upset his grandfather and land him back in the hospital. But after seeing Ryan mooching around the house, clearly wracked with guilt about the heart attack and pining for Lindsay, he needed to do something and he needed to do it soon. Ryan was always the first to have his back. Seth needed to do this for him.

He looked across at his grandfather and took a deep breath, silently praying to Jesus and Moses for the right words.

"It's about Ryan…."

"Well, there's a surprise," muttered Caleb caustically, "go on…"

"Well you know Lindsay's dumped him…"

"Smart girl!"

"Grandpa!"

"I'm sorry Seth, please…go on."

Seth was beginning to wonder if this was going to be a waste of time. His grandfather had shown dislike for Ryan ever since he'd arrived in Newport. What made him think that anything he could say would change his mind? He was never quite sure what his grandfather thought of him, Seth. He was always making quips about his lack of success with girls and his non-football player physique. The man obviously despised him.

Seth decided to continue regardless. It couldn't make things any worse than they were already.

"Well, Lindsay's dumped him because of you…"

Caleb raised his eyebrows but stayed silent.

"She's really excited about getting to know you grandpa, she really wants things to work out between you guys."

"And I do too Seth," Caleb nodded encouragingly.

"But the trouble is that she and Ryan both think that her dating Ryan will be, you know, difficult for everyone, bearing in mind that you don't like him…"

Seth glanced up to see how his words were being received. Caleb's face was devoid of emotion.

Seth continued uncertainly.

"Well now they're both pretty miserable because they really like each other and I thought, I just thought…."

Caleb decided to rescue his grandson from his discomfort.

"Seth, it's very admirable of you to come here to plead your friend's case but…"

Seth looked up at him, his eyes troubled.

"That's it though Grandpa, Ryan's not my friend….at least he is my friend but he's…"

Seth was floundering.

"Spit it out Seth, words are not normally your problem!"

Seth took a deep breath and decided to just go for it, regardless.

"The thing is Grandpa, Ryan's my brother. He's my brother and Mom and Dad's son and you ignoring him and giving him a hard time is upsetting me and it's upsetting Mom and Dad."

When Caleb stayed silent, Seth decided to press on.

"I want you to like him Grandpa. I want you to treat him like you do me. Well not the sarcastic comments maybe," he mumbled "but if he's my brother and Mom and Dad's son, then you are his grandfather whether you like it or not. And if you can't accept that, then…. then…you don't have me as a grandson either."

Caleb watched his grandson as his chin wobbled and his eyes began to blink rapidly. At that moment, he was torn between feeling intensely proud of him and feeling fury that he was being asked to make such a choice.

He sighed heavily. He should have known, there was no winning with a lawyer and a lawyer's son.

Seth sat silently unable to meet his grandfather's eyes. He'd hated saying it, but some things were worth fighting for, and Ryan was one of them.

"Seth…"Caleb began gently.

Seth looked up, his face fierce with resentment.

"Don't try and give me all that crap about Ryan, grandpa…"

Caleb smirked.

"I was about to say that Ryan is a lucky boy to have such a brother as you…"

Seth swallowed.

Caleb sat down, resigned to his fate.

"I can't pretend things will be good overnight Seth…"

Seth raised his head in disbelief.

"I can't promise that I'll see the things in Ryan that you and your parents see, but….," he took a deep breath, "I promise I'll try."

Seth's face was a picture of astonishment.

"Just like that, you're going to give him a chance?" he whispered.

"Well you haven't exactly given me a lot of choice have you? You've made your feelings clear; it's Ryan or me. And I'm not willing to sacrifice my grandson…."

-

As soon as Seth had left, Caleb leant forward and pressed the button on his intercom.

"Lesley, get me Ryan on the phone please…"


End file.
